FAILURE TO ACCOUNT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5394, 1 March 1929, Page 2

FAILURE TO ACCOUNT.

A PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE.

REFORMATIVE DETENTION. “It is very painful for me to have to deal with cases like this,” .said M r Justice Blair, in the Hamilton Supreme Court on Wednesday, in sentencing Charles James, lately of Pae10a, aged 30„ to 12 months’ reformative detention foi’ failing to account for £251 to the Public Works Department

Mr J. F. Strang said ac.cused was a single man with a. widowed mother. He had been acting as senior clerk on a section of railway between Okaihukura and. Ohura which had not been taken over by the Railway department, but on which passengers were carried, Accused had received money from the sale of railway tickets and had failed to ac.count for it. The police and his, superior officers spoke very highly of accused, who had had an excellent character. For some reason, whic.li counsel asked His Honour to believe was a laudable one, accused would not disclose where the stolen money had gone. Accused had made arrangements to restore £l3O, and had given authority for the sale of his motorcar, the proceeds to go towards resti-: tution. When the shortage was discovered accused was relieved, and had made a full and frank confession of the circumstances.

His Honour said he must assume that accused had some call which he had considered was . superior to hia faithfulness to bis employers. He had not blaniefi anyone else. The case was one where the Judge was, tempted to ccinsider granting, probation, but such offences were too nu-f merous. The sentence would be ver}” light, but he must inflict some punishment.